Last week I discussed which resume words to use and which words to avoid. This week I wanted to cover another very important feature of your resume, readability!

Here is the bright line test on whether your resume is effective: in a 5 second skim of your resume, can the reader figure out the top 3 things about you and understand your career trajectory (which should be leading to the job in question)?

I recommend you first identify what sets you apart and craft your theme. If you are applying for a job in X, the theme could be you have a life-long interest in X and have relevant X experience, e.g., you studied degree relating to X in tech, privacy, healthcare, whatever) before law school, during law school you wrote an article on X, then trained at (firm/company) in X-related practice group, went to a client focusing on X, and list accomplishments relating to X (or X’). Now cut everything unrelated to this theme from your resume.

WSJ’s article on how to make your “resume pass the six-second test” (they give you an extra second!) makes some good points:

• The eye follows a Z pattern, so make sure the top things are at the top and apparent in a diagonal skim. Relevant experience that’s buried in your resume won’t help you get the job.
• Skip the professional statement. It’s ok to have 1-2 lines summarizing your work and including your skills/achievements, but it has to be short and sweet. (You don’t need to add a summary, though, if the reader can glean the top points in a few seconds.)
• Include metrics. See here for ideas. If you choose to have a summary up top, include metrics, e.g., scaled [type of company] X%, launched Y products in Z countries, saved $, etc.

And I agree with this former Google recruiter that you must avoid “text bricks” in your resume. Format your resume cleanly — put key points in bullets delineated by clear headings. Include achievements, and break up the text with#, % (see how they pop in a sea of text?). Keep sentences readable — write in plain English and avoid phrases lawyers love like “with respect to”, “including but not limited,” etc. They take up way too much space and dilute your message.